Alternate Standards, Alternate Assessment, and Alternate Diploma
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are changes being made related to alternate standards, assessment, and diploma?
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) officially eliminated an alternate assessment based on “modified” achievement standards. In order for a student to receive an alternate diploma that will not count against a schools graduation rate, the state’s alternate standards must have State-defined requirements, and meet the following specific criteria: Be standards based, be aligned with State requirements for the standard high school diploma, and be obtained within the same time period for which the State ensures availability of FAPE. In addition to the ESSA requirements, WVDE is attempting to create more state-wide consistency regarding the instruction, assessment and diploma options for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
- Do ninth through twelfth grade IEPs need to be rewritten to reflect all courses per student schedules?
The second federal requirement for State-defined alternate diplomas to count toward ACGR for Title I accountability is that they must be aligned with State requirements for standard diplomas. This requirement suggests that the same kind of requirements that exist for a standard diploma must exist for the State-defined alternate diploma. Therefore, this year’s 9thgrade schedules must be reflective of the same courses (credits) as students in GEE in order for that cohort to graduate with an alternate diploma. Since IEPs indicate the setting in which students receive support and services, IEPs should reflect grade level courses such as ELA 9, Math I, Social Studies, Science, PE/Health, Music/Art on the service and placement pages.
- Will IEPs for students with significant cognitive disabilities continue to addressfunctional skills such as daily living and social skills?
Students with Intellectual Disabilities must exhibit concurrent deficits in adaptive functioning expected for his or her age across multiple environments in at least one domain of adaptive functioning. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities typically exhibit concurrent deficits in all three domains of adaptive functioning (conceptual, social, and practical). Needs in these areas are to be addressed in the IEP along with content area skill support based on grade-levelalternate academic achievement standards (Policy 2520.16).
- Whose responsibility is it to inform schools and make changes to 9th gradeschedules to be compliant with ESSA requirements pertaining to alternate diplomas?
WVDE has providedalternate course codes for all subjects 9-12. The announcement was made via the Superintendents Update when the course codes were available and where to locate them. A webinar will be scheduled for district directors, school administrators, and school counselors concerning the alternate course codes.
- Will there be levels included with the alternate standards as in the past?
At this time there are no levels written to accompany the alternate academic achievement standards. However, levels will be written and provided to districts by July 1, 2018 when the alternate standards go into effect. A guidance document will be available that will take each alternate standard and scaffold it to include appropriate skill levels to meet individual student need.
- When is it necessary to submit a justification to the WVDE pertaining to the 1% Alternate Assessment participation cap?
Districts are required to submit a written justification if they anticipate that they will exceed the 1% State-level participation rate for the 2017-2018 school year. Districts have been provided a justification template. Justifications are to be submitted to WVDE by December 15, 2017. Per ESSA requirements, district justifications are to be reported publically.
- What is the difference between an improvement plan as required by ADA and a justificationas required by the USDOE?
The 2017-2018 WVDE Annual Desk Audit (ADA) findings included Alternate Assessment Participation Overage for the first time. Districts that exceeded the 1% State-level cap were asked to examine their data and determine a plan that included action steps as to how they would ensure that IEP Teams were making the best assessment decisions for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Justifications are to be submitted to the WVDE by December 15, 2017 as part of the waiver requirements from the USDOE. States must provide assurances that districts are assessing at least 95% of all students on all assessments, as well as 95% of students with disabilities on the alternate assessment in all subjects. States must also be assured that districts are examining data to make sure that only students with significant cognitive disabilities are taking the alternate assessment, as well as informing parents of the implications of the alternate assessment.
The purpose of the justification is to provide information as to why a district anticipates being over the 1% State-level cap for alternate assessment participation.
- Is it a requirement for districts to complete the WV Alternate Assessment Eligibility Rubric for students taking the alternate assessment?
Districts that submit a justification and anticipate that they will exceed the 1% threshold for participation on the alternate assessment are required to complete the WV Alternate Assessment Eligibility Rubric. It is considered best practice, but is not a requirement of WVDE for all districts to utilize the rubric as a means of looking more closely at student assessments and IEP components when determining whether the alternate assessment is appropriate for a student.